Description (eng):
The present paper starts with a description of auditory events being created inside the listener’s head in the case of headphone reproduction, which results in the sound being perceived as unnatural.
The first chapter examines the sense of hearing as to its functions and features with regard to spatial hearing. In order to understand the following chapters, the reasons why people can locate noise are given and it is described what happens with a signal so that people know from which direction it originates.
The specific problems encountered with headphone reproduction are explained. In this context, the question is answered why the auditory event occurs inside the head and cannot be located outside the head.
Subsequently, existing technologies are analysed with regard to their function principles and are described in greater detail: artificial head recording, binaural room scanning, binaural simulation, HRTF modelling by means of beam forming, the Ambisonic Technology, the Dolby Headphone Technology, multi-channel headphones, HRTF Virtualizers as well as Ambience Enhancement Virtualizers.
The findings of the first chapters concerning psycho-acoustic bases as well as individual problem solution approaches for headphone reproduction are then used to generate an electronic circuit with the Native Instruments software “Reaktor 3”, which results in an improvement of the reproduction via headphones and makes the localisation of acoustic sources outside the head possible.
The aim of this paper is to look into the possibilities of creating a natural auditory event with headphones. In this context, the advertising slogan of Dolby Headphone Technology nicely sums it up: “You always have the best seat in the house”.